Consumer Research Company CARD Creates 14 New Jobs

The company provides hi-tech market research services, primarily to the retail property sector, and has identified a number of opportunities to broaden its customer base and increase turnover.

CARD currently employs 12 people and is investing £300,000 in the expansion. Invest NI has offered a grant of £84,000 to support the 14 new jobs. These will be made up of sales, research, field management and technical analysis posts.

Welcoming the new jobs, George McKinney, Invest NI’s Director of Technology & Services, said: “CARD is a company that has built its success on finding innovative and flexible ways of delivering its services, which has resulted in export growth.

“By investing in developing hi-tech market research systems such as Surveyteam, which was the first iPad-based, real-time market research system in the UK, the company has differentiated itself from its competitors. That competitive advantage has fuelled its recent success and set it on a course for further growth.

“Invest NI has supported the company over a number of years, providing assistance for research & development and marketing, as well as the current offer of employment grant.”

CARD has grown significantly in recent years and its clients now include some of the UK’s largest companies, such as Unilever and Standard Life.

Commenting on the investment, CARD’s founder and Managing Director, Albert Hamilton said: “Our unique approach to data collection and analysis has led us to be recognised as innovators and specialists within the consumer research technology sector.

“We have established an enviable reputation within the retail property sector, and recently have diversified into other markets such as leisure and tourism.

“This investment in new staff marks the next stage in our growth, which will see us focus more on data analytics. We are continually developing new services and supporting technology and aim to become a leader in the market research arena.

“Invest NI’s support over many years has been hugely beneficial. It has helped us to develop core technology, take advantage of market opportunities and now significantly expand our workforce.”

Four of the new jobs are already in place.

Invest NI’s R&D support is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund.